At Last
by premiumcaskett
Summary: A short one-shot of a dance that Castle and Beckett share at Ryan and  Jenny's wedding. Listen to Etta James's version of At Last when it starts  playing in the story. You don't need it to read it, but it definitely makes it  better.


Make sure to listen to Etta James's version of At Last when it starts playing in the story. It makes it ten times better, I promise. There's a great version on SoundCloud like halfway down the page. Run time is 3:01. ;)

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><p>"Last dance for the evening before we send the happy couple on their way. So if you been saving a dance for that special someone, now's the time to get on this dance floor!"<p>

The ceremonious words of DJ SpinDoctor rang through the ballroom, seeming to echo off of the walls right into Richard Castle's ear canals. He stopped mid-story to scan the room. He had a special someone he wanted to dance this dance with, but where was she?

With a passing, "Excuse me," he parted ways with his conversation.

As the Etta James ballad started playing through the speakers, he could feel his heart beating through his chest. Where was she? He perused the dance floor. Detective Ryan and Jenny were the definition of adorable – gazing lovingly into each other eyes, about to start a brand new chapter of life as husband and wife. As cynical as Richard Castle acted towards marriage, he rather valued the institution. He couldn't help but smile. His eyes kept wandering; they passed over Lanie dragging Javier Esposito onto the dance floor – first begrudgingly, and then surprisingly, with a twirl of his woman, Esposito was as light as a feather.

And then the crowd cleared.

_**At last, my love has come along. **_

There she was. Katherine Beckett. She was glowing - not that she didn't normally glow, but for some reason tonight, it was different. Things were different. Castle walked over to her, except he didn't remember taking any steps.

_**My lonely days are over.**_

His heart beat with every footstep he didn't remember taking. It was all he could do to keep his eyes fixated on the love of his life. She was laughing with the bartender. About what? He didn't care. She looked effortless.

_**And life is like a song.**_

He extended his hand in a very gentlemanly manner and said just above a whisper, "Katherine Beckett, may I have this very special dance?" Kate turned her gaze from the bartender to Rick. She didn't hesitate, she didn't pause – she put down her glass and placed her hand in his.

_**At last, the skies above are blue**_

The look in her eye said something was different for her tonight too. Rick led her on to the dance floor where he placed his right hand on the small of her back. She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck, instead of striking a more formal dance pose. He didn't mind.

_**My heart was wrapped up in clover**_

She moved one arm down to his shoulder, and not stopping to check and make sure it was okay, she rested her head there in the crook of his neck.

_**The night I looked at you**_

Rick reveled in the smell of her hair. Cherries. He almost chuckled to himself. Of course it was cherries. A classic Richard Castle grin crossed his face as he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

_**I found a dream, that I could speak to**_

Did the lights just dim or was the world closing in around Kate Beckett? She wasn't sure. She didn't care.

_**A dream that I can call my own**_

As they swayed back and forth, she felt his embrace tighten at those words – as if he was signifying in action what the words actually meant. This dance was much different than the first dance they had shared, or even the second.

_**I found a thrill to press my cheek to**_

Rick felt her move her head to where their cheeks were touching. The last time he remembered being this close to her, they were in a freezer.

_**A thrill that I have never known**_

He grabbed her hand that was around his neck and held it close to his body – remembering the time that she had extended that very hand in an understanding gesture.

_**You smiled, you smiled**_

At Rick's gesture, she picked her head up off of his shoulder and looked right into those piercing blue eyes.

_**Oh, and then the spell was cast**_

She remembered back to the first time she had really looked into those blue eyes after they had solved their first case together. So much had happened since then. So much had changed.

_**And here we are in Heaven**_

She moved her face close to his and looked from his eyes, down to his lips, back to his eyes. And for the last time in their proverbial dance, she hesitated.

_**For you are mine, at last**_

And when that moment had passed, she kissed him. No hesitation. No undercover stories. No reluctance. It wasn't just a kiss - it was a kiss that let Richard Castle know that tonight, tonight was different. They were different. No more pretense. No more confusion.

And as the song came to a close, she pulled back and looked him in the eyes, biting her lower lip in the process. Rick had a look of bewildered contentment on his face. Kate leaned in and whispered in his ear, "All the songs make sense."


End file.
